


boats against the current

by maelidify



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 00:21:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3467468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maelidify/pseuds/maelidify
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An online-epistolary account of Belle's research. Also, her heartache. Also, her movie nights with Ruby. Inspired by the 4B premiere.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Oxford Linguistics, Philology, and Phonetics Dept.   
Message Board Post   
  
_URGENT_  
 _Translation help needed_  
 _Must specialize in folklore, supernatural, rare/ancient languages_  
 _Monetary compensation can be provided through paypal_  
 _If able, contact Rose Smith at golden.light@gmail.com  
_  
\---  
  
FACEBOOK   
  
**Ruby Lucas**  
You’re still awake, girl?  
  
 **Belle French Gold**   
Yeah. Just got a lead but can’t translate it.   
  
**Ruby Lucas**   
Maybe that’s because yuo need some sleep? When’s the last time you slept?  
  
 **Belle French Gold**   
*you   
  
**Ruby Lucas**  
Oh plz   
  
And you didn’t answer my question   
  
**Belle French Gold**   
The night before last I definitely got 8 hours in   
  
Maybe 7   
  
**Ruby Lucas**   
You’re a fucking liar   
  
Need me to come over?   
  
We can watch movies and drink, that always helps me when I can’t sleep  
  
 **Belle French Gold**  
Maybe sometime else? I’m waiting to see if I get any responses on this message board   
  
**Ruby Lucas**  
?????  
  
 **Belle French Gold**  
There are so many educated people in this world! I’m trying to see if I can find someone to help me.   
  
**Ruby Lucas**   
You can keep your laptop on, you know   
  
Or, you know   
  
your phone   
  
that too   
  
you there?  
  
Belle? Beeelllle?   
  
**Belle French Gold**   
Fine come over    
  
Just not Twilight again, okay?   
  
**Ruby Lucas**   
I make no promises   
  
\---  
  
 _ceaselesslyintothepast.wordpress.com_   
Hello, Blog. That’s what these things are called, right? Blogs?   
  
It’s such a funny word. Blog. Blaaaahg. I’ve been feeling quite blaaaahg lately.   
  
Well anyway, Blog, I’m trying to see if you can help me. I have friends where I live and I love them but there’s this pain inside of me that won’t go away, no matter how strong I become.   
  
And I am strong, I think. I’m stronger than I used to be, and I’m proud of myself, and I wouldn’t want my old life back, no matter how happy I was in it.   
  
But still. There’s this pain, this searing pain in my heart. I don’t know what to do with it. So maybe I’ll write about it. Maybe that will help.   
  
-B  
  
\---  
  
To: golden.light@gmail.com  
From: guntram@oxford.uk.edu   
Subject: Re: Translation services   
  
Miss Smith,   
I recently stumbled upon your call for translation assistance. I am a professor of classical philology and linguistics; send me what you need help with and I shall see what I can do.   
Yours truly,   
Robert Michaels   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The Rumbelle email correspondence in the new episode? So many great fanfiction opportunities. I hope to see more of them pop up soon. 
> 
> I'm planning on keeping this fic going throughout the next half-season/in-universe with it, but it may drift to AU. We'll see!


	2. Chapter 2

_ceaselesslyintothepast.wordpress.com_  
  
Waking up next to three empty wine bottles isn’t a good thing, right?   
  
Ruby says it’s perfectly normal to drink a lot when you’re struggling with heartbreak-- but of course, whenever she brings up heartbreak with me she grimaces like she knows she’s said something wrong. The H word. Kind of like the L word, but worse.   
  
Anyway, I’ll explain. Ruby came over to the apartment last night, two movies in hand: _The Devil Wears Prada_ and the second movie in that godawful _Twilight_ series. “I don’t really like it, you know,” she said when I raised my eyebrow. “But I need to watch it, for reference.” She’s been doing research on this world’s depiction of werewolves in popular culture because she has a bet going on with Granny that she can’t focus on anything intellectual for longer than five minutes. If she wins (by writing some sort of paper on this), she gets to open a bar in Granny’s after its normal closing time.   
  
I don’t quite know what Granny gets if she loses-- the right to say ‘I told you so’, I guess?   
  
Anyway, Ruby’s going to win because she has me helping her.   
  
But I digress. Along with the movies, Ruby had a few bottles of dry red (my favorite), a flask of brandy, and a bottle labeled ‘Creme de Cacao’.   
  
“Are you opening the bar in my apartment instead?” I asked dryly as she edged past me, arms full of too many things.   
  
“I know how to make an amazing Brandy Alexander,” she countered. “It would be pure selfishness if I didn’t share the amazingness with you.”   
  
“I’m sure.” I watched her place the bags on my table, which was clear but for my laptop and research materials. My apartment in general is fairly clear but for these things: books, notebooks, necessities. Some clothes. Sometime I need to go back to our-- the house and pick up more of my things, but I keep putting it off.   
  
For now, I’ve claimed a small, empty apartment above a few shops in town. Just a kitchenette/living room area, a bathroom, and a small bedroom. No one is living there and we don’t have any primary landlords at the moment. Though, because of that fact that this is literally my fault, I’m trying to find someone to take his place.   
  
Thing is, people from our world don’t really know how to deal with the practicalities of this one. We’d rather live and let live, for the most part, than deal with financial complications.

  
“Okay,” she said, breaking me out of my thoughts. She’d retrieved a couple of small glasses from my cupboard and was unscrewing the Creme de Cacao. “So? Talk first or movies first?”   
  
“Movies,” I said.   
  
“Fine, fine.” She popped _The Devil Wears Prada_ into my used DVD player and started rummaging through my fridge, withdrawing a bottle of milk. “If I know you, you’re gonna love this.”   
  
“The drink or the movie?”  
  
“Both.” She grinned widely as she began mixing the milk with the liquors, creating a creamy coffee-colored liquid. “It’s better with ice and heavy cream, but you get the idea,” she said, handing me her concoction.   
  
She was right on both counts, turned out. The drink had that dangerous quality that a lot of feminine drinks do of tasting more sweet than alcoholic, and the movie was distracting at least. (Not that I wouldn’t rather be watching Pride and Prejudice, but I have to admit a weakness for fashion. Especially shoes.)   
  
She wanted to Talk, of course, but I didn’t. I’ve spent many a night crying to her about Rumple, and it’s been weeks and weeks, and it’s time for me to move on. I’m doing research with Hook on freeing the fairies. I’m keeping the library running. I’m being a friend to people who need a friend. Eventually, these things will fill the gap he’s left in my life. I just have to be patient. I just have to be strong.    
  
We turned to the wine eventually, and the other movie (which was painful to watch, but I think Ruby secretly enjoyed it. Shh.), and then reality television (which was even worse). The last thing I remember was watching a bride-to-be yell at her wedding planner for sending out the wrong invitations and then… I was waking up on my couch next to wine bottles.   
  
And I’ve never been that kind of person. I don’t drink my troubles away. It’s unhealthy and I deserve better than that.  
  
Don’t I?  
  
\---  
  
FACEBOOK   
  
**Ruby Lucas**   
How’s the Search for Answers going?   
  
**Belle French Gold**   
I’m not speaking to you   
  
**Ruby Lucas**   
Except that you totally are   
  
**Belle French Gold**   
I have a headache stronger than the migraine you get when Blue speaks  
  
Not to speak ill of the missing  
  
Sorry that was mean, wasn't it   
  
 **Ruby Lucas**   
You don’t know the drinking trick, do you   
  
**Belle French Gold**  
?  
  
 **Ruby Lucas**   
Drink water and take painkillers before bed   
  
**Belle French Gold**  
Could you not have told me about this last night?   
  
Wait how’d you get home last night?  
  
 **Ruby Lucas**  
I didn’t? I left in the morning. Didn’t want to wake you   
  
**Belle French Gold**   
Oh, okay.   
  
Sorry Rubes, I’m super grumpy. It’s not your fault. I just wish I had more control over myself.   
  
**Ruby Lucas**   
It’s okay to still be sad, you know.   
  
Belle?   
  
What did I say?   
  
**Belle French Gold**   
I’m not sad. Look, I gotta go, Hook and I have to research.   
  
**Ruby Lucas**   
Try not to throw books at his head, ok?   
  
\---  
  
To: guntram@oxford.uk.edu  
From: golden.light@gmail.com  
Subject: RE: Re: Translation services   
  
Professor Michaels,   
Thank you so much for your reply. What I need help with is a bit unusual-- I need some ancient spells translated. I’ve attached a few scanned files. Are you up to the challenge?  
-RS   
  
To: golden.light@gmail.com  
From: guntram@oxford.uk.edu  
Subject: RE: RE: Re: Translation services   
  
I never back away from a challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey, so it turns out that Belle's wordpress username is a pre-existing one. Who knew? If you find this story, person-who-has-that-blog, I apologize.
> 
> Some actual Rumbelle correspondence will happen next chapter. :P


	3. Chapter 3

To: golden.light@gmail.com  
From: guntram@oxford.uk.edu  
Subject: Some resources for you   
  
Miss Smith,   
I’ve been studying the materials you sent me for the past couple of hours and have made quite a few breakthroughs. I’ll need more time, of course, for the rest of it, but I’ve attached when I’ve done so far.   
  
May I ask what you need with ancient Germanic magick-releasing spellwork?   
  
I’ve also attached a few documents you might find interesting concerning the history of language and translation.   
  
Yours,   
Robert Michaels   
  
-  
  
To: guntram@oxford.uk.edu  
From: golden.light@gmail.com  
Subject: Re: Some resources for you  
  
Thank you so much! These documents are fascinating; language has such a beautiful, multi-layered history, doesn’t it? I have to confess that I study it in my free time, but I’m interested in studying too many things to master any of them!   
  
Your breakthroughs are very helpful, by the way, and thank you for sending me your work thus far. The sooner you can translate all of the pages I sent, however, the better. I mentioned monetary compensation on my message board post and would certainly be willing to send some money your way for your trouble.    
  
Thanks again!   
  
RS   
  
-  
  
To: golden.light@gmail.com  
From: guntram@oxford.uk.edu  
Subject: RE: Re: Some resources for you  
  
Miss Smith,   
  
There’s nothing that makes life more fulfilling than a love of knowledge. Keep studying, is my advice, and I am certain you’ll master anything you put your mind to.   
  
Here are a couple more pages.   
  
Robert Michaels   
  
P.S. No need for compensation, my dear, at least not monetarily. An answer to my last question would be sufficient payment. Forgive me if I’m prying, but I’m insatiably curious.   
  
-  
  
To: guntram@oxford.uk.edu  
From: golden.light@gmail.com  
Subject: Thanks!   
  
Your work is continually helpful, and you do it so quickly! You’re a wonder.   
  
I may have to disagree with you on the concept of knowledge making life fulfilling, kind as the sentiment was. One can get greedy for knowledge, right? And knowledge is power, I hear, and power corrupts.   
  
Then again, ignorance isn’t quite bliss either, is it? To be honest, I’m not sure where I stand on either abstraction at the moment.   
  
As for the spells… I happened to find an old text in my library and wanted to find out what was in it. That’s all. I’m insatiably curious as well.   
  
RS   
  
-  
  
To: golden.light@gmail.com  
From: guntram@oxford.uk.edu  
Subject: Re: Thanks!   
  
Miss Smith,   
  
Why, then, the urgency?   
  
Power can corrupt, yes, but with enough knowledge, you can keep it in check. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back.   
  
Yours most sincerely,   
Robert Michaels   



End file.
